The ANC’s National Executive Committee (NEC) will not be reviewing ANC Youth Leader Julius Malema’s disciplinary case, secretary general Gwede Mantashe said on Sunday.
“The NEC is not a disciplinary committee and it did not pretend to be one this weekend,” Mantashe said at a press briefing in Johannesburg after an NEC meeting.
“We appreciate the way the National Disciplinary Committee handled that case to its finality.”
Malema pleaded guilty in his controversial disciplinary hearing.
He was found guilty on Tuesday of undermining President Jacob Zuma.
Asked if the ANC was worried about internal divisions, Mantashe added that the ruling party was “stable”.
“There are no divisions within the ANC; when positions are highly contested before ANC or ANC Youth League conferences, that is democracy in action.”
However, Mantashe said the party was worried about “anarchy” and referred to an incident at the ANC Youth League’s Polokwane conference when delegates walked away from each other after failing to agree.
Mantashe added that the NEC was “very proud” that in the next 26 days SA would have the honour of hosting the biggest sporting event in the world, the Fifa World Cup.
The Mail & Guardian reported on Thursday that the ANC Youth League was planning to put pressure on the ANC’s national executive committee to overturn the decision of the party’s national disciplinary committee after it found youth league leader Julius Malema guilty of undermining President Jacob Zuma.
We established that the youth’s secretary general Vuyiswa Tulelo planned to submit a report to the ANC’s NEC this weekend, outlining the league’s grievance regarding the outcome of the ANC’s national disciplinary committee — headed by deputy minister of Science and Technology Derek Hanekom.
The committee cleared Malema on three main charges, which included singing the “Kill the Boer” song in defiance of ANC directives, endorsing Zanu-PF and attacking the Movement for Democratic Change as a “Mickey Mouse party” during his visit to Zimbabwe, as well as embarrassing the party by verbally attacking a BBC reporter Johah Fisher.
However, Malema pleaded guilty and was forced to apologise to Zuma and the ANC after he implied that Zuma was worse than former president Thabo Mbeki.
Malema to be sent away
The M&G understands Malema opted for the plea bargaining route after Hanekom insisted his membership be suspended for two years or that he should be sent away to China or Cuba for the same period.
ANC treasurer general Matthews Phosa, who represented Malema, strongly objected to Hanekom’s proposal and questioned the motive behind his suggestions saying they were political.
Malema’s legal team suggested entering into a plea bargain, which included a R10Â 000 fine and a two year suspended sentence.
However, the M&G understands the youth league will put pressure on the ANC to overturn the decision as this would set a wrong precedent for future engagements.
“What this decision means is that youth league leaders would not be able to speak in future. We must nip it in the bud before it is too late,” said a senior youth league leader, who preferred not to be mentioned.
On Thursday Tulelo told journalists that the youth league would approach the ANC to discuss procedural matters.
League members to pay
She also said the league’s national executive committee took a decision to establish a fund, which will see youth league members contributing money to pay Malema’s R10 000 fine.
Tulelo said ANCYL leaders would also attended the anger management course with Malema.
“We are of the view that Malema made the statements not in his personal capacity, but he was representing the views of the youth league.”
“Overall, the ANC Youth League does not have a problem with efforts and programmes that promote youth development and individual development and growth of its leadership, and will forever protect principles of the organisation.”
Mantashe’s statements is the latest in a long battle between the ANC’s left alliance partners and the youth league.
It is understood that South African Communist Party (SACP) Secretary General Jeremy Cronin was the first one to suggest during the SACP’s bilateral with the ANC that Malema be charged. Cosatu also suggested the same thing during its bilateral with the ANC.
“For us it is important that this decision is overturned because the ANC can not be controlled by Cosatu. They [the ANC] are just implementing decisions taken by Cosatu. The reality is that the ANC is run from Cosatu headquarters and we are not going to allow this to continue,” said the ANCYL leader to the M&G last week. — Sapa and M&G